ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Year 7
Extra Practice Sheet

Name: -------------------------
Date: --------------------------
Class: --------------------------
Name Date

End of unit 2 test rif

Section A: Reading h e
l s
Read the extract from the biography The Secret Life of my Grandfather, then answer i
questions 1–7.
E e r
The old man by the fire
e a b
n
As he sits hunched by the fire, it’s hard to imagine my grandfather as anything other

h
than a quiet old man. But things aren’t always as they appear. Seventy-five years ago,
i
m l K
he was a young man living in Poland. I’ve seen photographs from that time. He’s tall,
handsome and looks great in his Polish army uniform – the one he got married in. He
5
s E
was a captain in the army, but when the Russians took over the part of Poland he lived

a
in, he had to make a decision: should he stay in Poland with his family and risk danger,

A long journey Y
or should he take his new wife – my grandmother – and start a new life abroad?
a
. m a
In the end, he did the only thing he could. He helped his wife and both their families

r s s
start a new life in England. He used all his money to buy train tickets and made sure
10 they got away safely. By this time, Poland had become a dangerous place, but my

M A
grandfather stayed there alone for a week after his family left before making his way
across Europe. Sometimes he caught trains, sometimes he got lifts in cars, but most of

.
the time he walked. It took him one month to reach England.

s
M r
1 What is the main impression of the grandfather created by the phrase ‘he sits
hunched’ in line 1?
Tick () one box.
that he is cold

that he is old

that he is uncomfortable

that he is thinking [1]

1
2 Give one piece of evidence from lines 2–4 which tells us that the grandfather is over 85
years old.

i f
e r [1]

h
3 Explain, using your own words, why the grandfather had to take his family abroad.
s
(lines 5–7)
l r i
E e
e a b [1]

4 Look at paragraph 1 (lines 1–7).

i n h
Complete the following fact file about the grandfather:

m l K
s
Country of residence
Job a E
Y
Marital status
a
. m a [3]

s s
5 Why is paragraph 2 (lines 8–13) given the subheading ‘A long journey’?
r
M A [1]

s .
6 ‘Sometimes he caught trains, sometimes he got lifts in cars, but most of the time he
walked.’ (lines 12–13)

M r
What structural technique is this an example of? Explain why the writer has used it here,
and its effect.

Structural technique:

Effect:

[2]

7 What type of text is this extract?

Tick () one box.
a diary

an article

a biography

a play [1]

2
Name Date

End of unit 3 test rif

Section A: Reading h e
l s i
Read the extract from The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar, then answer questions 1–6.

E e
The children fell quiet. The jungle behind them and the sea before them were both
r
e
‘I wish Mami were here,’ said Simon softly.
a b
pitch-black and when a cool breeze blew over them, they felt lost and lonely.

n h
Maya did, too. Her heart ached. A funny sound began to come from the edges of the
i
5
m l K
darkness, from where the palms leaned over the beach and the shadows multiplied.
A high, singing sound, like thousands of delicate crystal chimes, so beautiful it held the

s E
children transfixed. After a moment Maya noticed that the sand was shifting around

a
them. A fine surface layer was rolling over itself. It was the particles of sand rubbing

Y
against one another that made the singing noise.
a
. a
10 ‘Musical sand,’ she whispered. ‘Papi told me about it, that in some places in the world
the sand sings.’ Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her father.
m
r s s
Helix returned from bathing in the sea and suddenly Maya and Simon both felt more
cheerful. He sat down by the fire. Penny was fast asleep already. Lulled by the singing

M A
sand, Simon was heavy-eyed and he yawned and nestled down in the sand, his head
15 on his backpack.

s .
Eventually the breeze died away, and the muggy breath of the jungle descended on to
the beach. The sand lay silent in little hillocks of moonlight. Down by the shore,

M r
moonlight shone in the tide pools.
‘Come and see the pools,’ Helix said to Maya. ‘We won’t be far away – we’ll be able to
20 see your brother and sister the whole time.’
She nodded and they walked down to the tide pools.

3
1 Explain, using your own words, why the children feel ‘lost and lonely’ in paragraph 1
(lines 1–2).

i f [1]

2 a What is ‘softly’ an example of in line 3?

Tick () one box.
e r
s h
a verb an adverb a noun

l
an adjective

r i [1]

b What does it reveal about Simon’s feelings?

E e
e ab [1]

n
3 Give an example of a simile from lines 4–9 and explain its effect.

i h
Simile:
m l K
Effect:

a s E
Y a [2]

.
Explain why they are effective.
m a
4 Pick out two words from lines 13–15 that show how tired Simon is.

r • s s
M A
•
s .
M r
5 Give one example of personification from lines 16–18, and explain its effect.
[2]

Personification:

Effect:

[2]

6 Why does the writer use a dash in line 19?

[1]

4
Name Date

End of unit 4 test rif

Section A: Reading h e
Read the article below, then answer questions 1–6.
l s i
The future is here! E e r
e b
Ever wondered what might happen in the future? Flying cars? Computers in brains?
a
Although the world has changed dramatically in the past 50 years, we haven’t quite
n h
reached the stage where teachers are made from metal. Yet. In the past, though,
i
m
5 accurate were they? Read on . . .
l K
people had some crazy ideas about what the year 2020 would be like. But just how

No work

a s E
Sounds good to me! In the 1960s, an article in the magazine Time claimed that by 2020
Y a
everybody would be very rich indeed. The idea was that instead of working ourselves

. a
to exhaustion (which let’s face it, we all do), machines would do all the work. Humans
would do nothing except count the money. Imagine the fun you could have . . .
m
r s
10 Accuracy score: 0 out of 10. I’m still working.
s
M
No food
A
This isn’t quite as bad as it sounds – to be honest, it sounds awful – but it actually

s .
wasn’t a scary belief that there’d be nothing to eat in the future. No, this is the strange
prediction made by Ray Kurzweil in a 2005 book. He claimed that by 2020, humans
wouldn’t need food. Instead, technology would feed our bodies and remove waste

M r
15 products. The result – no need to eat.
How boring would that be?
Accuracy score: 0 out of 10. I’m still cooking.
Flying houses
This next prediction is about . . . well, flying houses, as you may have guessed from the
subheading! In the 1960s, Arthur C. Clarke, a leading writer and inventor, reckoned
20 that by 2020 we’d have houses that could move to other streets, towns and even
countries. Could be fun – if it gets too hot in Mumbai, you could always fly to Iceland!
Accuracy score: 0 out of 10. I’m still on the ground.
So, a big fat zero for all of those predictions. Shame. But were there any predictions
that did come true? Well, Arthur C. Clarke wrote about an electronic device that stored
25 lots of information for humans to read. He called it a Newspad. Sounds familiar . . .

5
1 Give one word from the first paragraph (lines 1–5) that means ‘greatly’.

[1]

i f
2 Suggest how the writer has made the opening of the article effective. Give a clear example
to support your answer.

e r
s h
l r i
E e [2]

their effects. e a b
3 Look at paragraph 2 (lines 6–10). Give two examples of informal language and explain

•
i n h
m l K
•
a s E
Y a [2]

. m a
4 Look at paragraph 3 (lines 11–17). Give two interesting examples of sentence punctuation
s
and explain their effects.
r s
M • A
s .
•

M r [2]

5 This article uses a headline and subheadings. Give two further features in the article that
are typical of this text type.

• [2]

6 What is the main purpose of this text?

Tick () one box.

to inform the reader

to persuade the reader

to advise the reader

to entertain the reader [1]

6
 The Corrupt Administrator
Mr. Pig was an administrator at a big factory that made different kinds of merchandise.
During a meeting at the company’s headquarters, his bosses said they wanted the factory
to make more money.

i f
“If the factory makes more money, then you will too,” his boss, Mr. Horse, told him. It was
a great incentive. Pig had always wanted to be as affluent as his bosses.

nice, and some were not legitimate.

e r
Mr. Pig returned to the factory and started making changes. However, most were not very

s h
First, he fired all his employees. Then he automated the entire factory. Machines now
made everything, and the other animals, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Sheep, and Mr. Dog had no jobs.
Next, he bribed some corrupt senators into legislating special subsidies for the factory.
l
Finally, instead of paying a company to dispose of the factory’s rubbish properly, he
r i
E
violated the law by throwing it into the river to save money.
e
At first, all the changes to the factory’s infrastructure created more revenue. But soon

e b
many stores could no longer sell the factory’s goods at retail. It seemed that the machines
a
couldn’t make products as well as the workers. The customers were disappointed with the
factory’s merchandise.

i n h
m K
There were other problems, too. The animals had told their friends and family to stop buying
the factory’s goods. Officials discovered the factory’s rubbish in the river, and when they
l
money.
a s
audited the company, they discovered that Pig had manipulated the law in order to get more

E
All transactions with Pig’s factory stopped. The factory

Y a
lost money, and Pig lost his job. He realized his mistakes too
late. He had tried to become rich by saving money any way

. a
possible, but the cheapest way was not always the best.

m
r s s
■

M A
s .
M r

7
 eadinq Compr ehens i on
PART O Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false
statements to make them true.
. Mr. Rabbit was an administrator at a big factory that made different kinds of
merchandise.

i f
2. Some of the changes made to the factory were legitimate.
e r
s h
3. Mr. Pig bribed some corrupt senators into legislating special subsidies for his factory.

l r i
4. E
Mr. Pig violated the law by disposing of the factory’s rubbish in the ocean. e
e a b
5.
n
At first, changes to the factory’s infrastructure created less revenue.

i h
m l K
PART 0 a
Answer the questions.
s E
Y a
1. During their meeting at headquarters, what incentive did Mr. Pig’s affluent boss give him?

. m a
r s s
A
2. What happened to the other animals after Pig automated his factory?
M
s .
r
3. According to the officials who audited Pig’s factory, why did he manipulate the law?

M
4. What happened to Mr. Pig and his factory when all transactions stopped?

5. Why could the stores no longer sell goods at retail?

8
 a Famous Accident
One of the greatest pharmaceutical discoveries happened by accident. In his haste to
go on vacation, Alexander Fleming had left his laboratory in a mess. The essence of his

i f
ongoing work involved a type of bacteria. An infection caused by the bacteria was often
terminal, and he was looking for a remedy. He had left the bacteria out while he was away.
When he returned from vacation, he found that his lab was covered in fungus. He started

e r
cleaning up the mess. While he was cleaning, he had an impulse to examine the fungus. He
saw that whenever the fungus was in close proximity to the bacteria, the bacteria died.

s h
Though he was a messy scientist, his experiments were precise. He thought that there
might be some significance to the fungus. He immediately commenced an experiment to
assess what had happened to the bacteria. It had either died by accident or the fungus had
l
killed it. The subsequent tests proved it was the latter reason.
r i
E e
What he found astonished him. The fungus actually killed the bad bacteria. All this time,
he had been looking for a synthetic material to kill the bacteria. Instead, a common fungus
did the job.
e a b
He knew that something in the fungus had killed the bacteria. His next step was to find
n h
those molecules that had done it. When he found them, he extracted them and put them

i
into a pill. The drug proved to be very effective. It also worked against other types of harmful
bacteria.
m l K
The discovery received a lot of publicity. Soon after,

a s E
the new drug was being used all over the world. Because
of the success, the scientist was able to develop even

Y more fabulous drugs to help people. His accidental

a
discovery changed the world and helped save many

. m a
people’s lives.

r s s
M A
s .
M r

9
partQ Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false
statements to make them true.
1. One of the most fabulous pharmaceutical discoveries was an accident.

i f
2.
r
The essence of the scientist’s ongoing work was to find a remedy for a terminal
infection.
e
s h
3. The infection caused by the bacteria he was working on was not terminal.

l r i
4. Fleming examined the fungus on an impulse. E e
e a b
5.
n h
Whenever the synthetic material was far from the bacteria, the bacteria died.

i
m l K
PART O Answer the questions. a s E
Y a
1. In his haste to go on vacation, how had Alexander Fleming left his laboratory?

. m a
r s s
A
2. What was the significance of the fungus?

M
s .
r
3. When did the scientist get an impulse to examine the fungus?

M
4. What did the scientist extract molecules from?

5. What received a lot of publicity?

___________________________________________________________
10 L
|
The Island
“Where am I?” Bob thought to himself when he woke up on a peculiar beach. “I can’t
remember what happened.” There had been a bad storm, and Bob’s fishing boat sunk. He

f
washed ashore on a small island, but he had gotten hurt during the storm. He had a terrible
migraine, and he had a fracture in his shoulder. He felt awful. But he had a strong desire to
i
make it home to his spouse and children. He had to tolerate all the pain and devise a plan.

e r
Bob stood up and looked around. “I’ll walk to a higher altitude, so I can see everything
around me,” thought Bob. “Maybe I’ll gain some insight about this island and find something

h
to help me escape.” As he walked along a mountain ridge, he noticed that the tall indigenous
trees looked sturdy and thick. Bob got a brilliant idea. He could build a raft! He cut down
s
some leaves and tree limbs. Even though his shoulder injury impaired his ability to carry

l
the materials, he slowly dragged them down the mountain until he reached the coastline.
r i
E
Bob was a proficient builder. He used his building expertise to line up the limbs and tie
e
them together with long vines. When the raft was finished, Bob was happy with his work.
“This will bring me home to my family,” he said with a smile.
e a b
At last, Bob was ready to implement his escape plan. With all his might, he thrust the

n h
raft into the water. He climbed on and began the quest to find his way home. Bob smiled

i
again, and thought, “I’m glad I kept a good attitude. It prevented the pain from deterring me

m l K
from my plan. Optimism and ambition make anything possible.”
Slowly, he floated out to sea. In a few days, he made it to shore

a s E
and ran home to see his happy family.

Y a
. m a
r s s
M A
s .
M r

11
Readinq Compr ehens i on
PART 0 Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false
statements to make them true.
1. Bob had a migraine and a shoulder fracture when he awoke on the peculiar beach.

i f
2. Bob implemented a plan to bring his spouse and children to the island.

e r
3. h
The indigenous tree limbs impaired Bob’s ability to carry the materials.
s
l r i
4.
E
Bob was proficient in building, and he used his expertise to build the raft.
e
5. e
Bob thrust the raft into the water to begin his quest.
a b
i n h
m l K
PART 0 Answer the questions.
a s E
Y a
1. What type of insight did Bob hope to gain when he moved to a higher altitude?

. m a
s s
2. Why did Bob need to tolerate the pain and devise a plan?
r
M A
s .
3. What did Bob drag from the ridge to the coastline?

M r
4. How did Bob prevent pain from deterring him?

5. What does Bob believe about optimism and ambition?

12
 Name: _____________________________

Comma or Semicolon
Directions: Determine whether each sentence needs a comma or semicolon. Put the correct punctuation
mark on the line. Then explain why that punctuation mark best completes the sentence.

i f
1. When the islanders started fighting amongst themselves _____ the monkeys took control.

e r
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

s h
2. The islanders were weary of fighting _____ consequently, the monkeys faced little resistance.

l r i
E
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
e
e a b
3. As soon as the monkeys were in charge of Fire Island _____ things began to change.

n h
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
i
m l K
4. David was afraid of Tiny, the leader of the monkeys _____ because David had heard things.

a s E
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

Y a
5. Tiny demanded all kinds of crazy things from the islanders _____ this troubled them greatly.

. m a
r s
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
s
M A
6. One warm summer morning _____ Tiny marched to the village square and pronounced a new law.

.
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
s
r
7. This law shocked and appalled the islanders _____ they could not accept such ridiculous leadership.

M
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

8. After much hemming and hawing _____ the elders decided to accept the law afterall.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

9. The islanders had lost their spirit for fighting _____ furthermore, no one wanted to provoke Tiny's ire.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

10. David _____ however, had had enough.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

13
11. David was offended by Tiny's law _____ he didn't want to eat his shoes or wear tacos on his feet.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

f
12. Whenever David thought of Tiny, the monkeys, and what had happened _____ his blood boiled.
i
r
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
e
h
13. David decided that he would form a resistance _____ he would gather the town's strongest warriors.
s
l r
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________ i
E e
e a b
14. David talked to Hugo _____ the strongest man in town, and Hugo couldn't wait to help.

n h
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
i
m l K
15. Hugo led David to Katrina, the fan-dancer from the parlor _____ she was excited to join the effort.

a s E
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
Y a
. m a
16. Katrina introduced David to Bruno, the rock thrower _____ and Bruno was ready for action too.

s s
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________
r
M A
17. Now that David's team was assembled _____ it was time for them to take down the monkeys.

s .
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

M r
18. Katrina lured the monkeys into a pit, Hugo trapped them _____ and Bruno crushed them with a rock.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

19. David was happy that Tiny escaped _____ David wanted Tiny for himself.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

20. David was wearing taco shoes when he jump kicked Tiny _____ however, the irony went unnoticed.

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

14
 SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Subjects and verbs must agree in number, which means that a singular subject requires a singular verb whereas
a plural subject requires a plural verb. Study the following examples which illustrate this principle:

I am here. (singular)
I do yoga. (singular)
You are here. (sing/pl)
You do yoga. (sing/pl)
i f
He is here. (singular)
She does yoga. (singular)
We are here. (plural)
We do yoga. (plural)
I have pets. (singular)
I play piano. (singular)
You have pets. (sing/pl)
You play piano. (sing/pl) One plays
e r
Joe has pets. (singular)

piano.(singular)
We have pets. (plural)
We play piano. (plural)

I was first. (singular) You were first. (sing/pl) h

It was first. (singular)
s
We were first. (plural)

l r i
** Note: The third person singular form (he, she, Joe, one, it above) in the present tense is the only verb

E e
form that requires an "s" ending (The past tense "was" is an exception to this rule.)

e b
The following rules/suggestions should help you determine correct subject-verb agreement.
a
n h
1. Connecting subjects with "and" usually makes them plural; therefore, to check for proper agreement you
i
m l K
can substitute the pronouns "they" or "we" for plural subjects. (Exceptions include pairs of words that are
considered to be one thing. Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich.) For example:

a s
Mary and Jack are friends. E
The car and the truck run well. He and I are friends.

Y
(They are friends) (They run well.)
a
(We are friends.)

. m a
2. Connecting subjects with "or" or "nor" can require either a singular verb or plural verb; use the subject
closer to the verb to decide which form is correct. For example:

r s
Neither she nor I am going s
Neither Jack nor Mary is going Joe or his brothers are on call.

M A
Either Jane, Maria, Anne, Cassandra, or Ann has the tickets. His dog or my cats have to go!

s .
3. Prepositional phrases never contain the subject of the sentence. In most cases, you should ignore the
prepositional phrase when trying to determine the correct verb form to use. For example:

M r
One of the flowers is dying
Neither of those boys has graduated.
The coach, along with the players, is celebrating.
Either of those dresses looks fine.
Both of the books were on sale. Every one of the glasses is broken.

4. Singular indefinite pronouns require singular verbs. Examples of singular indefinite pronouns include the
following: one, anyone, everyone, someone, nobody, anybody, everybody, somebody, nothing, anything,
everything, something, each, either, neither.

Everyone is happy. Each of the sacks was full. Nobody was leaving. That one costs too much.

5. A few indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, depending upon their use in the sentence. Often
information in a prepositional phrase can help you decide whether the pronoun is singular or plural. These
"two-way" pronouns are as follows: all, some, any, none, most, more, enough.

All of the pie was eaten. Most of the roof is finished. None of the snow has melted.
All of the pears were eaten. Most of the trees are dying. None of the boys have passed.

15
6. The words "here" and "there" are not used as subjects. When they start a sentence, you must look elsewhere
for the subject. Also, you must be careful to find the correct subject when dealing with questions because
the subject will often not be the first word of the question. Study the following (subjects are underlined):

There go my two best friends. Where has she gone? Here is your math book.
Why are you doing this? What are their names? There seem to be problems.

i f
7. Some nouns that end in "s" are singular in meaning and require a singular verb. Other nouns that end in "s"
r
are singular in meaning but require a plural verb. Consider these examples:

e
Mathematics is easy.
The scissors are sharp.
s h
Measles is a contagious disease.
My pants need to be washed.
Physics is complicated.
Those shorts are torn.

l r i
8. Collective nouns such as "class" or "team" may be singular or plural depending upon how they are used:
E e
emphasis on the group takes a singular verb; emphasis on members acting individually requires a plural
verb.

e a b
The class was dismissed.
(The whole group as one.)
i n
The class are presenting their reports this week.
h
(The class members individually will give the reports.)

m l K
9. In an adjective clause, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun (who, which, that), which
s E
is usually the nearest noun. When "only one" is emphasized among a larger number, always use "one" as

a
the singular antecedent. Consider the following examples (the antecedents are underlined):

Y a
I like a dog that is friendly. I like dogs that are friendly. One of the dogs that are sick is mine.

. m a
Only one of the girls who is coming is single. That is the only one of the dogs that is still sick.

s s
10. Weights, measures, time, and money can be either singular or plural. If they are thought of as whole
r A
quantities, they are singular; if they are countable, separate units, then they are considered plural.
M
s .
Fifty feet of hose is enough. (singular) Ten one-dollar bills are on the table. (plural)

1.
2. M r
Joe and Jim (have, has) been friends for a long time. They (is, are) neighbors and (play, plays) in a band.
Neither Jan nor I (were, was) able to attend the meeting. We (were, was) sorry we had to miss it.
3. Each of the barrels (is, are) full. Each one (need, needs) to be inspected. They (is, are) from Italy.
4. There (has, have) been two tornadoes near here this year. They (frighten, frightens) me.
5. The stories in this book (doesn't, don't) interest me, but my wife and son (enjoy, enjoys) them.
6. The nurse or the secretary (come, comes) in on Saturday. Much work (needs, need) to be done.
7. One of those sentences (don't, doesn't) make sense to me, but my classmates (weren't, wasn't)
confused by it.
8. None of the tests (has, have) been graded, but all of the homework (has, have) been checked.
9. Anyone who (want, wants) to try out (need, needs) to make an appointment.
10. The doctor and her husband (take, takes) a trip to Mexico each year.
11. This class, together with math and biology, (keep, keeps) me extremely busy.
12. Here (come, comes) the meanest kids on the block. Why (do, does) they act so bad?
13. Every one of the shoes (seems, seem) to need a shine. Neither of us (was, were) ready to do it though.
14. Jason, Timothy, Sandra, or I (am, are) responsible for closing the store on the weekend.
15. Forty dollars (seem, seems) too high a price. There (has, have) to be better bargains somewhere in town.

16
 SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
COMMON PROBLEMS
i f
1. e –s is often forgotten in the 3rd person singular of the present tense
INCORRECT e r CORRECT
• The student attend the language course and he •
s h
The student attends the language course and
study hard.
2. Frequently has and have are used incorrectly. l
studies hard.

r i
INCORRECT E e
CORRECT
•
•
The course have taught me a lot.
e
She/He/Mary/The Governor have friends.
•
•
a b
The course has taught me a lot.
She / He / Mary / The Governor has friends.

n
3. Mistakes are also made with is/are and was/were.
i h
•
INCORRECT
m
Jose and Eduardo is from Mexico. •
l K CORRECT
Jose and Eduardo are from Mexico.
•
•
a s
Some students was late this morning.
We/You/They/The footballers/The women is
•
• E Some students were late this morning.
We/You/They/The footballers/The women are
here.
Y a here.
4. Another common mistake is with do and does, especially in negative sentences

. INCORRECT
m a CORRECT
•
r s s
He don’t study Chemistry; he study Physics.
• He does not study Chemistry; he studies
Physics.

M A
Note: You must be careful to look at the subject of the verb, decide if it is singular or plural, and then choose the
appropriate verb form:

s .
Verb stem +s: studies, plays, runs if the noun is singular.

M r Verb stem alone: study, play, run if the noun is plural.

5. Often a mistake is made by using a plural verb because of the influence of a plural noun. Here the
subject is the number of students on the course, but the key word is number. Therefore, the verb must
be singular – is.
INCORRECT CORRECT
• The number of students on the course are less • The number of students on the course is less than
than last year. last year

6. Some nouns which are grammatically singular may be followed by a plural verb form. These are
often called collective nouns. Collective nouns take a singular verb when the noun is referring to a
unit; they take a plural verb when the noun is referring to individuals within the group
• The government has made an important decision.
• The government have made an important decision.
• The English football team was beaten by Italy.
• The English football team were beaten by Italy.
• The class has a test on Friday.
• The class have a test on Friday.
7. Sometimes the noun may be separated from the verb by another clause.
• The child, although recovering from a series of long illnesses, was ready to enter the race.

17
 SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT

i f
8. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning (eg measles) usually require a singular verb.
In the same way, an amount, quantity or number thought of as a whole (eg six weeks) takes a

• e r
singular verb. However, nouns that are plural in form and plural in meaning (eg scissors) usually
require a plural verb.
Physics deals with light, sound, heat, electricity and matter in motion.
• Mumps is a dangerous illness for adults.

s h
•
•
Mathematics is an essential subject in high school.
Thirteen dollars is not much.
l r i
•
•
Six years is a long time.
Spectacles are expensive today. E e
•
•
Riches are illusory.
His pants/trousers were blue. e a b
9. Learn these examples by heart:
i n h
m l K
a) Almost always singular (ie verb in singular form): news, information, music,
mathematics, phonetics, the United States, advice, evidence, accommodation
The news was very good.

s
b) Usually singular: aid (meaning ‘assistance’), research
a E His research is progressing very
well.

Y a
c) Always plural (ie verb in plural form): people, police, cattle The police are doing their best
to control the traffic.

. m a
d) Singular and plural (ie these words do not change; but the verb may be The series of experiments that he

s s
singular or plural according to the meaning.

r
conducted was very successful.

M EXERCISE 1 A
Now look at the following examples (subject and
EXERCISE 2
Choose the verb that correctly completes the sentence:
from sections 1-9 above:
s .
verb are in bold). Match them with an explanation

a) Meat with potatoes (is/are) my brother’s favourite

M r
a) The child is ready.
b) Her parents are waiting.
meal.
b) The box of texts (is/are) filled with various colours.
c) The list of items (include/includes) everything you
c) The case of oranges is bad.
will need for the trip.
d) The trucks of sand are arriving. d) My brother, who has three children, (is/are) visiting
e) Twenty-five years of marriage is a long time. us this Christmas.
f) Three kilometres is not far. e) The cost of repairs for the car (was/were) very high.
g) Jack, not Jill, is to blame. f) The nature of the problems (is/are) not known.
g) The percentage of absences in schools across the nation
h) The crowd is a record.
(have/has) been increasing.
i) The crowd are fighting amongst themselves. h) The captain and his men (was/were) able to
j) Spectacles are usually cheaper than contact lenses. fight off the invaders.
k) Measles is a disease which can cause blindness and i) Mathematics (is/are) a difficult subject for me.
death. j) Ninety dollars for a pair of shoes (is/are) ridiculous.
l) The news was not good. k) Mumps (cause/causes) the salivary glands to swell.
m) There are lots of rooms in the house. l) Measles (is/are) contagious.
n) There is lots of room on the bus. m) Riches (is/are) not easy to obtain.
n) Fifty years (is/are) a short time in history.
o) The amount of supporters was overwhelming.
o) Here (is/are) a list of classes we can attend.
p) Here (is/are) some ways of organising ourselves.
q) There (is/are) too many students in my group.

18
 SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
CONFUSING CASES
i f
There are many words that are not always obviously singular or plural. Most of us have picked up which

easy to become confused.

e r
verbs to use in the following cases, but the incorrect forms are used in many parts of the community, so it is

s h
1. The following words take a singular verb: each, everybody,
someone, either, neither, everyone, nobody l •
r i
Each is expected to know.

E
2. In addition, a singular subject remains singular when other e
nouns are connected to it by: with, together with, except, as
well as e
•

a
there. b
The man with the little girl is over

i n
3. However, a compound subject made up of two or more h
m
nouns joined by and requires a plural verb.
l K • The man and the woman are sitting
quietly.

a s
4. Book titles take a singular verb.
E • The Far Pavilions is a book about
India.

Y a • Great Expectations was written by

Charles Dickens.

m a
5. None and all can take a singular or a plural verb,
.
depending on what they mean. Use a singular verb when
• None of us is perfect.

s s
none means no one, not one or not any, but a plural verb

r
when none suggests more than one person. Similarly, all
•
•
All is well.
None are so good that they can

M A
takes a singular verb when meaning the whole, but a plural
verb when meaning all the particulars. •
claim perfection.
All are at the station

s .
6. Mathematical computations may take either a singular or
plural verb. You must be consistent, though, in any piece of
•
•
Six and six is twelve.
Six and six are twelve.
work.

M r
7. When two subjects are joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the verb is • Either the tutor or the students in his
singular or plural depending on which subject is nearer to it. class are in the right. .

When this rule results in an awkward sounding sentence, it is

better to rewrite it in a way that is both correct and more
natural.
8. A sentence beginning with ‘There’ poses problems. ‘There’ is
not the subject.
9. When the subject is a relative pronoun (who, which, that),
the verb agrees with the antecedent (the noun which the
relative pronoun refers to) of that pronoun.
10. A fraction takes a singular verb if it is followed by a
singular noun but a plural verb if it is followed by a plural
noun.
• Neither John nor Jeremy is willing to
sacrifice his job
• There are six runners in the race.
• There is a Davis Cup match on
television.
• Barry is one of the men who act as
public relations officers for the cyclist.
• This is one of those games that have
a bearing on the eventual
championship winner.
• Two-thirds of the task is completed.
• Half of the pieces were missing.

19
 SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
EXERCISE 3
i f
Correct the following:
a) Everyone think they are considerate.
e r
b) None of us are blameless.

s h
c) The van with its canopy have been lost in the flood.
l r i
d) Each are ready to go.
E e
e) The Queen and the bodyguard is arriving at the
hotel.
e a b
f) All the preparations is done.

i n h
g) Everybody who ever met him want to go to the
dinner.
m l K
EXERCISE 4 a s E
Y
Choose the verb that correctly completes the sentence:
a) Writing with footnotes (is/are) informative. a
b)
c) .
The shelf of books (was/were) poorly stacked.

m a
The committee of parliamentarians (meets/meet) on a fortnightly basis.

r
d)
s s
Shakespeare, as well as other English playwrights of the 16th century, (is/are) studied in the second year course.

M
e)
f)
g)
A
The task of reading essays (consumes / consume) a lot of a tutor’s time.
The behaviour of the children (varies / vary) according to the weather.
The faculty head, together with her senior staff and their secretary, (was / were) shifted to the new building.
h)
i)
j)
.
The percentage of dropouts (was / were) declining annually at the university.

s
Economics (is / are) a major discipline at Flinders.
Two thousand dollars (buys / buy) this video camera.
k)
l)
m)
r
Here (is / are) a book of modern quotations.

M
Here (is / are) some quotations from Chairman Mao.
Mr Swan and Mr Hockey (argue / argues) about economic policy for Australia.
n) The spectacles (was / were) found in the Library.
o) Each of the students (is / are) asked to fill in the form.
p) Either Cheng or Victor (is / are) the group leader.
q) Nobody from the schools in our region (attends / attend) Flinders University.
r) Seven Little Australians (is / are) a classic children’s book.

20
 Relative Clauses
**We use “Who/ That" to refer to people.
Example: This is the lady who (that) lives next to us.
i f
r
** We use “Which/ That" to refer to things/objects or animals.
e
h
Example: I saw a film which (that) was very frightening.

s
** We use “Whose" to refer to possession.
l r i
E
Example: This is the man whose brother is a doctor.
e
** We use “Where" to refer to places.
e a b
n
Example: This is the school where I studied.
i h
m
** We use “When" to refer to timing.
l K
s E
Example: Mondays are when I always go to train basketball.
a
Y
** We use "why" to give a reason.
a
. m a
Example: That's the reason why I refused to leave work.

r s s
M
A– Choose the correct answer:- A
.
1- I'll never forget the day (where – when – why) my daughter was born.
s
M r
2- Mabel is the lady (which – who – whose) car broke down.
3- Are those the boots (whose – who – which) your mum bought you for Mother's Day?
4- Those are the students (who – which – whose) got the best marks in English.
5- That’s Fred (whose – who – which) brother was on T.V. last night.
6- That is Mrs. Bell (who – which – whose) husband invented the new machine.
7- That's the shop (who – which – where) I bought my new dress.
8- This is the bank (who – which – where) the robbery took place.
9- This is the new CD (who – which – whose) is great to listen to.
10- The reason (where – why – whose) John is successful is that he works very hard.

21
B- Join the following sentences using the suitable relative pronouns:-
1- I play in a football team. It’s the best team in town.
…………………………………………………………………
2- Mrs. Martin is an old woman. She is a very good cook.
…………………………………………………………………. i f
r
3- The policeman arrested a thief. He broke into the neighbour’s house.
e
…………………………………………………………………
4- An orphan is a child. His parents have died.
s h
…………………………………………………………………...
l r i
E
5- A camel is an animal. It lives in the desert.
e
…………………………………………………………………
e
6- This is Mr. Ben. His suitcase was lost at the station.
a b
…………………………………………………………………...
i n h
m
…………………………………………………………………... l K
7- Have you seen my new shirt? I was wearing it at the party.

a s E
8- He married a woman. Her father is a millionaire.

Y
…………………………………………………………………...
a
.
…………………………………………………………………...
m a
9- These are my new skates. Mum bought them for me.

10-
r s s
The boy went to the hospital. It is near their house.

M A
…………………………………………………………………...

.
C – Find the mistake then correct it:-
s
M r
1- That man over there is the person which taught me to swim.
………………………………………………………
2- The house who they have bought is near the beach. …………………….
3- This is the dog whose I found in the street. …………………….
4- The girl which name is Lucy won the race. …………………….
5- The man which answered the phone told me you were out. …………………….
6- Do you remember the time where we got lost up in the mountains? …………………….
7- She didn't explain which she didn't attend the meeting. …………………….

22
Defining and non-defining relative clauses
Non-defining relative clauses contain extra information about the noun to which they relate.
They do not tell us which person or thing that we are talking about.
f
It is already clear which person or thing we are talking about without the relative clause.
i
e r
The River Nile, which is over 6,500 kilometres long, is Egypt's main source of water.

s h
l r i
The river Nile - It is quite clear what we are talking about - there is only one river Nile.
The relative clause which is over 6,500 kilometres long is extra information.
E e
e
meaning if you remove the non-defining relative clause: a b
Sentences containing non-defining relative clauses remain grammatical and have

i n h
m
Example (1) - relative clause removed
l K
a s
The River Nile is Egypt's main source of water.
This is a complete grammatical sentence. E
Y a
.
sentence by commas
m a
Important The non-defining relative clause should be separated from the rest of the

r s s
M A
On the other hand, defining relative clauses often do not make sense when the
defining relative clause is removed or it is unclear exactly what you are talking about.

s .
r
Have you read the message that I sent you yesterday?

M
The defining relative clause that I sent you yesterday contains very important
information. It tells us which message. Without this clause we only have:

Have you seen the message?

This sentence is grammatically complete, but it is unclear which message the speaker
means.

23
1- Complete the following non-defining relative clauses using who or which:
i f
a) Robert’s parents, .......... are retired now, live in Spain.
e
b) Sydney, ............. has a population of more than 3 million, is Australian’s largest city.
r
c) Peter’s sister, ............ goes to school with me, is a very nice person.
s h
l
d) My uncle John, ........... lives in London, is coming to visit me next week.
r i
E
e) I saw the film 'Casablanca', ...................... won an Oscar in 1942.
e
e a b
n
2- Combine the following sentences using relative pronouns.
i h
m
a) Al Gore gave a long and boring speech. He won the Nobel Prize.
l K
s E
..........................................................................................................................
a
Y a
b) Starbucks wants to open new stores in China. It does business all over the world.

. a
..........................................................................................................................
m
s s
c) Social network sites will definitely change business. They are very popular.
r
M A
..........................................................................................................................

.
d) Scientists are working with stem cells. Stem cells will revolutionize medicine.
s
M r
..........................................................................................................................

e) Last week, Jim Taylor interviewed Sally Thomson. She is my neighbour.

..........................................................................................................................

f) Mr Brown has been invited to join our club. He enjoys going to the theatre.
..........................................................................................................................

g) Whiting House is an important local monument. It was built in 1856.

..........................................................................................................................

h) Bono signed autographs at Tower Records yesterday. He's a famous musician.

..........................................................................................................................

24
3- From the notes, make one sentence. Use who or which with the words in brackets.

a. Greta Garbo. (She was born in Sweden.) She moved to America in 1925.
f
Greta Garbo, who was born in Sweden, moved to America in 1925.
i
e r
b. Football. (It first started in Britain.) It is now popular in many countries.
Football,_______________________________________________________________

s h
science at university. l r i
c. Margaret Thatcher. (She was the Prime Minister of Britain for 11 years.) She studied

E e
______________________________________________________________________

e a b
d. Michelangelo. (He lived until he was 90.) He is one of Italy’s greatest artists.
n h
______________________________________________________________________
i
m l K
e. The Nile. (It runs through several countries.) It is the longest river in Africa.
s E
______________________________________________________________________
a
Y a
f. Gandhi. (He was born in1869.) He became India’s nationalist leader.

. a
______________________________________________________________________
m
r s s
g. Elephants. (They are found in Africa and India.) They live to a great age.

M A
_________________________________________________________________________

s .
M r

25
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR The Passive Voice

THE PASSIVE VOICE

INTRODUCTION
i f
e r
The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb to be into the same tense as the active verb
and adding the past participle of the active verb. The subject of the active verb becomes the ‘agent’ of the

at the end of the clause.

s h
passive verb. The agent is very often not mentioned. When it is mentioned it is preceded by by and placed

Active: My grandfather planted this tree.

Passive: This tree was planted by my grandfather. l r i
E e
PASSIVE VERB TENSES

e
ACTIVE VOICE
a b
PASSIVE VOICE
Present Simple
n
He delivers the letters.
i h
The letters are delivered.
Past Simple
Future Simple
He delivered the letters.
m
He will deliver the letters.
l K The letters were delivered.
The letters will be delivered.
Present Continuous
Past Continuous a s He is delivering the letters.
He was delivering the letters.
E The letters are being delivered.
The letters were being delivered.
Going to Y a
He is going to deliver the letters. The letters are going to be delivered.

.
Present Perfect a
He has delivered the letters.
m
The letters have been delivered.

r s
Past Perfect
Infinitive
He had delivered the letters.
s
He has to deliver the letters.
The letters had been delivered.
The letters have to be delivered.

M Modals A
He must deliver the letters. The letters must be delivered.

1
s . SIMPLE CONTINUOUS PERFECT

PRESENT M r
+ S + am/is/are + Ptp

- S + am/is/are + not + Ptp

S + am/is/are + being + Ptp

S + am/is/are + not +being + Ptp

S + have/has + been + Ptp

S + have/has + not + been + Ptp

? Am/Is/Are + S + Ptp ? Am/Is/Are) + S + being + Ptp ? Have/Has) + S + been + Ptp ?

+ S + was/were + Ptp S + was/were + being + Ptp S + had + been + Ptp

PAST - S + was/were + not + Ptp S + was/were + not + being + Ptp S + had + not + been + Ptp

? Was/Were + S +PtpV ? Was/Were + S + being + Ptp? Had + S + been + Ptp

+ S + will + be + Ptp

FUTURE - S + will + not + be + Ptp

? Will + S + be + Ptp ?

+ S + V to be (am/is/are) + going to +
be + Ptp
GOING TO - S + V to be (am/is/are) + not + going
to + be + Ptp
? V to be (am/is/are) + S + going to +
be + Ptp ?

26
 Short answers
To make short answers:
 we use the verb to be (am/is/are/was/were) for Present Simple, Past Simple, Present
Continuous, Past Continuous and Going To questions.
 we use the verb have (have/has/had) for Present Perfect and Past Perfect questions.
 we use will for Future Simple questions.
i f
USE
The Passive is used: e r
h
1. when the agent (=the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the

s
context.

l
Jane was shot. (We don’t know who shot her.)
r i
E
This church was built in 1815. (Unimportant agent)
He has been arrested. (Obviously by the police) e
e
2. to make more polite or formal statements.
The car hasn’t been cleaned. (more polite)
a b
n
(You haven’t cleaned the car. – less polite)
i h
m
headlines, new items, and advertisements.
l K
3. when the action is more important than the agent, as in processes, instructions, events, reports,

s
30 people were killed in the earthquake.

a
4. to put emphasis on the agent. E
Y
The new library will be opened by the Queen.
a
AGENT
. m a
To say who did the action that we are talking about, ie. to refer to the agent, we use the preposition by
2
s s
and the name (by Peter) , noun (by the teacher) or pronoun (by him) at the end of the sentence.
r
M
missing from the sentence. A
We usually only refer to the agent when it gives us some important information which otherwise would be

s
We don’t mention the agent:.
Our house was designed by a famous architect.

1. if we don’t know who has done what we are talking about.

M r
Our car was stolen last night. (We don’t know who stole it)
2. if we are not interested in who has done what we are talking about or it is not important to
mention it.
He has been taken to hospital. (What we are interested in is the fact that he has been taken
to hospital and not who has taken him.)
3. if it is easy to understand who did something without it being mentioned.
The murderer was arrested last night. (It is not necessary to mention that he has been
arrested by the police because it is self-evident.)
4. if the subject of the active voice sentence is something like somebody, people, they, you, etc.
Someone broke the window. → The window was broken.

ACTIVE TO PASSIVE
To change a sentence from the active voice to the passive voice:
 the object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
Agatha Christie wrote this book.
This book was written by Agatha Christie.
 we change the main verb of the active voice sentence into the passive voice. The tense remains
unchanged.
 the subject of the active voice sentence becomes the agent of the passive sentence. It is placed
after the past participle and it is preceded by the preposition by.

27
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR The Passive Voice

Agatha Christie wrote this book.

This book was written by Agatha Christie.

Leslie
SUBJECT
took
ACTIVE VERB
this photograph
OBJECT i f
yesterday.
TIME COMPLEMENT

e r
s h
This photograph
SUBJECT
was taken
PASSIVE VERB
l
by Leslie
AGENT
yesterday.

r i
TIME COMPLEMENT

BY OR WITH? E e
In the passive voice, we use:
e
 by with the agent to refer to by whom the action is being done. a b
n
The door was opened by Mr Black. (Mr Blak = agent)
i h
m l K
 with to refer to the instrument, object or material that was used for something to be done.
The door was opened with a key. (a key = the object that was used)
s E
The omelette was made with eggs, cheese and peppers. (eggs, cheese and peppers = the
a
material that was used)
Y a
DOUBLE OBJECT VERBS
. m a
When we have verbs that take two objects like, for example, give somebody something, we can convert
s s
the active sentence into a passive one in two ways:
r
M way that we usually prefer. A
a. by making the indirect (animate) object the subject of the passive voice sentence, which is also the

s .
b. By making the direct (inanimate) object the subject of the passive voice.
Rick gave me (indirect object) this book (direct object).

3
M r
I was given this book by Rick.
This book was given to me by Rick.
Some of the verbs that take two objects are: give, tell, send, show, bring, write, offer, pay, etc.
When the indirect object is alone after the verb in the passive voice sentence, it needs the preposition to.
If the indirect object of the active voice sentence is a personal pronoun it has to be changed into a subject
pronoun to be the subject of the passive voice sentence.

SUBJECT OBJECT
I ←→ me SUBJECT OBJECT
You ←→ you We ←→ us
He ←→ him You ←→ you
She ←→ her They ←→ them
It ←→ it

28
 EXERCISES

Simple.
i f
1. Complete the sentences with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Present

a. English ____________________ (speak) in many countries.

e r
b. The post ______________________ (deliver) at about 7 o’clock every morning.
h
c. ______________________________ (the building/use) any more?
s
d. How often ______________________________ (the Olympic Games(hold)?
l r i
E
e. How _______________________ (your name/spell)?
f. My salary _____________________ (pay) every month. e
e
g. These cars _________________________ (not make) in Japan.
a b
n h
h. The name of the people who committed the crime _____________________ (not know).
i
m l K
i. His travel expenses ________________________ (not pay) by his company.

a s E
2. Complete the sentences with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Past Simple.
Y a
a. My car ______________________ (repair) last week.

. m a
b. This song ________________________ (not write) by John Lennon.
c. ________________________________ (the phone/answer) by a young girl?
s s
d. The film ________________________ (make) ten years ago.
r
M A
e. When ______________________________ (tennis/invent)?
f. The car ________________________ (not damaged) in the accident.

s .
g. The original building _________________________ (pull) down in 1965.

M r
h. Where ______________________________ (this pot/make)?
i. When _______________________________ (this bridge/build)?

3. Choose the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

FIAT
Fiat 0 was started (started/was started) by a group of Italian businessmen in 1899. In 1903, Fiat,
1
_________________ (produced/was produced) 132 cars. Some of these cars
2
_____________________ (exported/were exported) by the company to the United States and Britain.
In 1920, Fiat 3_________________ (started/was started) making cars at a new factory at Lingotto, near
Turin. There was a track on the roof where the cars 4____________________ (tested/were tested) by
technicians. In 1936, Fiat launched the Fiat 500. This car 5____________________ (called/was called)
the Topolino – the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. The company grew, and in 1963 Fiat
6
_____________________ (exported/was exported) more than 300,000 vehicles. Today, Fiat is based in
Turin, and its cars 7_________________ (sold/are sold) all over the world.

29
 B1 Passive Voice

Rewrite the sentences and make them passive.

i f
1. They will send you the boxes next week.

e r
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Coca Cola has sponsored this programme.
s h
l r i
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The manager has locked the door.
E e
_____________________________________________________________________________________

e
4. After they had shut the doors nobody could get in.
a b
n h
_____________________________________________________________________________________
i
m l K
5. The organizers of the event welcomed the president.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

a s E
6. They are inviting hundreds of guests to the opening of the new theatre.

Y
_____________________________________________________________________________________
a
. m a
7. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic Games.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
s s
8. The farmer milks the cows twice a day.
r
M A
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. Everyone went to bed after they had switched off the lights.
.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
s
M r
10. Stephen Spielberg is directing a major action film at the moment.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11. The local authorities have cut down three trees in our street.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
12. They serve lunch from 12 to 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
13. When I got there, they were paving the road.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
14. The referee will stop the match if the weather gets worse.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
15. Mom hasn’t washed my jeans since October.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

30